and a reward for choosing another way?
Does that not completely defeat the meaning of the word "free"?Accroding to religious people, there is a cost for our actions that "God" makes us pay when we die.Some say if you accept Jesus then he has paid that cost.What if you accept Jesus but still use free will to do things that God said not to do?Are you cheating Jesus out of what he paid for you?And how much did he pay?Since when is free will something that can be bought?Is God bipolar or what?
2007-03-15 09:25:29 · 20 answers · asked by Demopublican 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I believe you're absolutely right, "free will" in the sense that man has the ability to look to God for salvation, is not possible without defeating the meaning of the word "free" as you've stated. This puts any of God's plans into nothing but a foggy outcome, and makes predestination into a word that must be twisted around to fit this freedom that we are supposed to have. We really have two possibilities here: either God is omniscient and can choose who he will from before the foundations of the world, with a damaged man that cannot of his own capability seek out God; or we have a fully capable man that can choose, and a "damaged" God under man's thumb, that makes him weak and a telemarketer with a "free offer", and a deity who pleads with man to accept him while sadly (?) placing the unbeliever in hell -- the one that he loved so dearly during life.
I've heard each of the responses to your post many, many times, and I'm sorry, I just can't worship a God that subjects himself to my will. It needs to be the other way around.
2007-03-15 15:12:37 · answer #1 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free, in this case does not mean at no cost. It simply means "enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery". You have the right to choose. The consequences, however are not punitive, they are remedial. There are consequences so that you will learn which is the right choice, the higher road, if you will. Jesus did not pay for anything you have done, or do in the future. There always have been and always will be consequences for your actions.
2007-03-15 09:36:49 · answer #2 · answered by MyPreshus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Free will enables a saved person to choose right from wrong. Just as, only under the influence of the Holy Spirit, an unsaved person is able to choose between continuing to live in sin or becoming freed from sin when given the choice from God.
2007-03-15 09:34:09 · answer #3 · answered by 1saintofGod 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Free will IS free. You are free to make any choice you so choose to make. The only "punishment" is the natural consequences of a certain choice. Some things you may choose to do wiil produce a negative (as perceived by you or society) consequence. Those negative consequences are what Jesus was teaching us about and will create a "hell" in your life. The hell is living with your own bad choices.
2007-03-15 09:33:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
free will-the philosophical doctrine that holds that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. in life dont you have free will? i.e. 1 drinking at age 14, or 2 waiting until age 21. isnt there a consequence for chosing the wrong choice (1)--jail, your parents being angry. It is the same thing. God is our Father and He is punishes us when we do the wrong thing, just as our earthly parents do, because he loves us, like mom and dad do. But, we are not ETERNALLY punished for our sins (we dont go to Hell because of our sins). Jesus has already paid for that. Certainly it is important for us to repent from our sins because our faith is reflected by our actions, but we are ultimately saved by God's Grace and not by ourselves, as explained in the Bible. God Bless!
2007-03-15 09:41:04 · answer #5 · answered by kristin p 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wow
thats why its freewill, you get to choose. choose life, or choose death, just like Adam did.
no, it makes it meaningful. you are free to choose either one. God does not force you either way.
You are dead. God raises you from the dead. You stand before Him and He sees in His book of life that you aren't in it, that you "chose" not to believe. He says that you will be returned to the dead, where you were before. (the word hell is the word grave EVERYWHERE in the bible, there is a crematorium that those who chose death will be put. They will die instantaneously, not suffer eternally in "hell".)
You will recieves rewards in eternity for doing God's will in this life. You will suffer loss of rewards for sins you commit.
Every person who "chooses" to believe gets the reward of eternal life. Your free will was yours to begin with, Jesus didn't pay for that. He paid for you to get resurrected unto life eternal. If you wanna die forever, that's your decision.
There is a north and south pole, so maybe He is bipolar.
2007-03-15 09:41:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
free will just means YOU have the ability to choose right from wrong. God could have made it so we didnt have a choice in wether or not we worshipped Him.He could have forced us into worshipping Him. In otherwords for those who believe, God basically said "Here I am, this is what I have to offer, this is what I give to you if you accept it, but the choice is yours to make, I cannot decide for you, you must make the decision for yourself. But, there are penalties and rewards.
who ever said freewill was bought. God sent His Son Jesus
to pay the price of the sins of His day and the sins of the future. Jesus did not pay for free will He paid for the sins of all mankind with His life. would you give up a son or daughter if it meant saving lives? no, no one could do that, not even the best of the best would be willing to make that sacrifice. But God made the decision. He gave up his only Son. Iwont quote scripture, I am sure you will see enough of that, but I will say that the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love is death.
most of us will never have to make a sacrifice like that. But God did have to do that very thing. He needed a message or statement if you will that would shock the world, make the world know just how much He loved His creation. Again, God
basically said to humanity: I created you, I loved you, I cared for you. You mocked me, you disobeyed me, you denied me,
you are wicked in my prescence, you do evil for evils sake.
and guess what mankind? I still love you and to prove it I will allow you to take the life of my son.Jesus is yours to hurt, to punish , to torture any way you see fit. Kill my son. I give Him to all of humanity as payment for your wicked deeds now and forevermore. But I do ask one thing of humanity. If you wish to see paradise then all I ask is :Will you not give my son Jesus the worship, respect, He deserves for paying for your sins. Will you not believe he suffered for you even as I suffer the loss of my son? Will you not trust your Creator and know that heaven awaits those who accept my Son as their saviour? For all your lies,, murder, greed, lust, cheating, wicked ways and things you do, do I ask so much of man?
2007-03-15 10:02:22 · answer #7 · answered by molly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever read the whole Bible. If the Bible is true and God is right, then we should obey because He died for all of us out of Love. Blame Adam not Jesus. It is our sin nature. The soul that sins dies.
2007-03-15 09:36:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe the same things. I believe seperation from God is to cease to exist because God is life, which means you're dead. There are only two choices: Life or death.
2007-03-15 09:31:53 · answer #9 · answered by Cyber 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because the penalty for sin is death and the only way to eternal life is through Jesus.
2007-03-15 09:30:51 · answer #10 · answered by rockinweazel 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋